Erin has been involved in either creating vegetation maps or working on Accuracy Assessment for mapping products for more than 15 years. She has worked on many mapping projects, including mapping the Upper Mississippi River floodplain under the Long Term Resources Monitoring Element funded by the US Army Corps of Engineers and the mapping or accurcay assessment elements of many National
Research Interests:
- Vegetation Classification
- Vegetation Mapping
- Accuracy Assessment
- Using Remote Sensing technology to detect invasive plants
Recent Projects:
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail (APPA) Vegetation Mapping Project
- Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (JELA) Vegetation Mapping Project
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) Vegetation Mapping Project
- Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS) Vegetation Mapping Project
- Natchez Trace Parkway (NATR) Vegetation Mapping Project
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CUVA) Vegetation Mapping Project
Science and Products
Hydroacoustic mapping of physical habitat for imperiled freshwater mussels in the St. Croix River
Recent advances in hydroacoustic technology are proving to be valuable tools for mapping habitat features for sedentary biota such as freshwater mussels, and has the potential to identify and quantify habitat features. The Spectaclecase (Margaritifera monodonta) and Salamander (Simpsonaias ambigua) are imperiled mussels that are typically associated with rock structures (e.g., wing dams, revetment
Illinois River Substrate Characterization and Supporting Bathymetric Derivatives
Using high-resolution sonar technologies with geographic information systems (GIS) and object based image analysis, benthic characteristics of the Illinois River have been interpreted to support Asian carp research, monitoring, and control. The study plan consisted of data collection and analysis of the Brandon, Dresden, Starved Rock, Marseilles, Peoria, La Grange, and Alton reaches of the Illinoi
2020 Systemic Land Cover Data, Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) program, through its Long Term Resource Monitoring (LTRM) element, collected aerial imagery of the systemic Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) during the summer of 2020. A Land Cover/Land Use (LCU) spatial database was developed based on the 2020 aerial imagery, which adds a fourth systemic-wide database to the existin
Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS) Multibeam Bathymetry, Hillshades, and Sidescan Image Mosaics; River Velocity and Bed Composition Mapping for Hidden Falls
The National Park Service's (NPS) Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS) and the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (SACN) have established high value habitat corridors for threatened and endangered native mussels, including the Winged Mapleleaf and Higgins’ Eye Pearlymussel. Underwater sonar, a hydroacoustic remote sensing technology, is a valuable tool for mapping ph
St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (SACN): Sonar Data Mapping to Assess Native Mussel Habitat
The National Park Service (NPS) partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to collect hydroacoustic data of the Saint Croix River for the development of high-resolution bathymetry and sidescan imagery. The combined datasets will provide key components to characterizing benthic habitat. These information needs were highly desired by the NPS to more accurately assess environmental factors that
Updated vegetation map of Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge using 2019 acquired imagery
Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is a 50,000 acre refuge overlaid on portions of the former Jefferson Proving Ground (JPG) in Jefferson, Jennings, and Ripley counties, Indiana. Beginning in 1996, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) began managing the area. Big Oaks NWR was established in June 2000 as an “overlay” Refuge through a 25-year real estate permit
Object-Based Image Analysis Detection of Aquatic Vegetation, Lake Erie, 2018
The USGS developed the second in a series of informative spatial distribution datasets of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) in Lake Erie. The second dataset was developed by object-based image analysis of high-resolution imagery (US waters less than 6 meters deep) collected during peak biomass in 2018 to allow assessments of changes in SAV distribution. Assessing SAV abundance may contribute to i
Remnant hardwood forest mapping within the Upper Mississippi River floodplain
Executive SummaryThe primary objective of the project was to locate previously unknown stands of mast-producing hardwood forest trees in the Upper Mississippi River floodplain using existing information. We located and mapped 399 previously unknown hardwood forest stands within the Mississippi River floodplain area of navigation pools 9, 10, and 11. Using color infrared images in combination with
National Park Service Vegetation Mapping Inventory Program: Appalachian National Scenic Trail vegetation mapping project
The National Park Service (NPS) Vegetation Mapping Inventory (VMI) Program classifies, describes, and maps existing vegetation of national park units for the NPS Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program. The NPS VMI Program is managed by the NPS I&M Division and provides baseline vegetation information to the NPS Natural Resource I&M Program. The U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest
National Park Service Vegetation Mapping Inventory Program: Natchez Trace Parkway vegetation mapping project report
The National Park Service (NPS) Vegetation Mapping Inventory (VMI) Program is an effort to classify, describe, and map existing vegetation of national park units for the NPS Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program. The NPS VMI Program is managed by the NPS I&M Division and provides baseline vegetation information to the NPS Natural Resource I&M Program. The U.S. Geological Survey U
The Upper Mississippi River floodscape: spatial patterns of flood inundation and associated plant community distributions
Questions How is the distribution of different plant communities associated with patterns of flood inundation across a large floodplain landscape? Location Thirty-eight thousand nine hundred and seventy hectare of floodplain, spanning 320 km of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR). Methods High-resolution elevation data (Lidar) and 30 yr of daily river stage data were integrated to produce a ‘floodsc
National Park Service Vegetation Inventory Program, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
The National Park Service (NPS) Vegetation Inventory Program (VIP) is an effort to classify, describe, and map existing vegetation of national park units for the NPS Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program. The NPS VIP is managed by the NPS Biological Resources Management Division and provides baseline vegetation information to the NPS Natural Resource I&M Program. The U.S. Geologi
National Park Service vegetation inventory program: Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Minnesota
The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS) vegetation mapping project is an initiative of the National Park Service (NPS) Vegetation Inventory Program (VIP) to classify and map vegetation types of MISS. (Note: “MISS” is also referred to as “park” throughout this report.) The goals of the project are to adequately describe and map vegetation types of the park and to provide the NPS N
General classification handbook for floodplain vegetation in large river systems
This handbook describes the General Wetland Vegetation Classification System developed as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program, Long Term Resource Monitoring (LTRM) element. The UMRR is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the states of Illinois, Iowa, Minne
Science and Products
- Data
Hydroacoustic mapping of physical habitat for imperiled freshwater mussels in the St. Croix River
Recent advances in hydroacoustic technology are proving to be valuable tools for mapping habitat features for sedentary biota such as freshwater mussels, and has the potential to identify and quantify habitat features. The Spectaclecase (Margaritifera monodonta) and Salamander (Simpsonaias ambigua) are imperiled mussels that are typically associated with rock structures (e.g., wing dams, revetmentIllinois River Substrate Characterization and Supporting Bathymetric Derivatives
Using high-resolution sonar technologies with geographic information systems (GIS) and object based image analysis, benthic characteristics of the Illinois River have been interpreted to support Asian carp research, monitoring, and control. The study plan consisted of data collection and analysis of the Brandon, Dresden, Starved Rock, Marseilles, Peoria, La Grange, and Alton reaches of the Illinoi2020 Systemic Land Cover Data, Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) program, through its Long Term Resource Monitoring (LTRM) element, collected aerial imagery of the systemic Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) during the summer of 2020. A Land Cover/Land Use (LCU) spatial database was developed based on the 2020 aerial imagery, which adds a fourth systemic-wide database to the existinMississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS) Multibeam Bathymetry, Hillshades, and Sidescan Image Mosaics; River Velocity and Bed Composition Mapping for Hidden Falls
The National Park Service's (NPS) Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS) and the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (SACN) have established high value habitat corridors for threatened and endangered native mussels, including the Winged Mapleleaf and Higgins’ Eye Pearlymussel. Underwater sonar, a hydroacoustic remote sensing technology, is a valuable tool for mapping phSt. Croix National Scenic Riverway (SACN): Sonar Data Mapping to Assess Native Mussel Habitat
The National Park Service (NPS) partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to collect hydroacoustic data of the Saint Croix River for the development of high-resolution bathymetry and sidescan imagery. The combined datasets will provide key components to characterizing benthic habitat. These information needs were highly desired by the NPS to more accurately assess environmental factors thatUpdated vegetation map of Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge using 2019 acquired imagery
Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is a 50,000 acre refuge overlaid on portions of the former Jefferson Proving Ground (JPG) in Jefferson, Jennings, and Ripley counties, Indiana. Beginning in 1996, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) began managing the area. Big Oaks NWR was established in June 2000 as an “overlay” Refuge through a 25-year real estate permitObject-Based Image Analysis Detection of Aquatic Vegetation, Lake Erie, 2018
The USGS developed the second in a series of informative spatial distribution datasets of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) in Lake Erie. The second dataset was developed by object-based image analysis of high-resolution imagery (US waters less than 6 meters deep) collected during peak biomass in 2018 to allow assessments of changes in SAV distribution. Assessing SAV abundance may contribute to i - Publications
Remnant hardwood forest mapping within the Upper Mississippi River floodplain
Executive SummaryThe primary objective of the project was to locate previously unknown stands of mast-producing hardwood forest trees in the Upper Mississippi River floodplain using existing information. We located and mapped 399 previously unknown hardwood forest stands within the Mississippi River floodplain area of navigation pools 9, 10, and 11. Using color infrared images in combination withNational Park Service Vegetation Mapping Inventory Program: Appalachian National Scenic Trail vegetation mapping project
The National Park Service (NPS) Vegetation Mapping Inventory (VMI) Program classifies, describes, and maps existing vegetation of national park units for the NPS Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program. The NPS VMI Program is managed by the NPS I&M Division and provides baseline vegetation information to the NPS Natural Resource I&M Program. The U.S. Geological Survey Upper MidwestNational Park Service Vegetation Mapping Inventory Program: Natchez Trace Parkway vegetation mapping project report
The National Park Service (NPS) Vegetation Mapping Inventory (VMI) Program is an effort to classify, describe, and map existing vegetation of national park units for the NPS Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program. The NPS VMI Program is managed by the NPS I&M Division and provides baseline vegetation information to the NPS Natural Resource I&M Program. The U.S. Geological Survey UThe Upper Mississippi River floodscape: spatial patterns of flood inundation and associated plant community distributions
Questions How is the distribution of different plant communities associated with patterns of flood inundation across a large floodplain landscape? Location Thirty-eight thousand nine hundred and seventy hectare of floodplain, spanning 320 km of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR). Methods High-resolution elevation data (Lidar) and 30 yr of daily river stage data were integrated to produce a ‘floodscNational Park Service Vegetation Inventory Program, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
The National Park Service (NPS) Vegetation Inventory Program (VIP) is an effort to classify, describe, and map existing vegetation of national park units for the NPS Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program. The NPS VIP is managed by the NPS Biological Resources Management Division and provides baseline vegetation information to the NPS Natural Resource I&M Program. The U.S. GeologiNational Park Service vegetation inventory program: Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Minnesota
The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS) vegetation mapping project is an initiative of the National Park Service (NPS) Vegetation Inventory Program (VIP) to classify and map vegetation types of MISS. (Note: “MISS” is also referred to as “park” throughout this report.) The goals of the project are to adequately describe and map vegetation types of the park and to provide the NPS NGeneral classification handbook for floodplain vegetation in large river systems
This handbook describes the General Wetland Vegetation Classification System developed as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program, Long Term Resource Monitoring (LTRM) element. The UMRR is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the states of Illinois, Iowa, Minne